Method for capturing fingernail clippings

ABSTRACT

The present invention includes method and apparatus for aiding in the trimming of fingernails and provides a fabric cone with slits in the side for putting hands inside the cone and a transparent top cover over the large part of the cone so that a person can trim their fingernails while inside the fabric cone and observe the process through the transparent cover and retain within the cone any flying fingernail fragments that might otherwise be causing problems.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to improved systems and methods ofcapturing fingernail clippings.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

One common occurrence, while clipping fingernails, is causing smallfingernail clippings to fly through the air. These nail clippings canstrike a person in the eye causing pain, irritation or even worse. Thesenail clippings can fly to other unwanted places where they are difficultto locate or remove. Toenail clippings are similarly troublesome.Manicure salons, where many people have their fingernails trimmed daily,have larger problems with cleaning up errant, airborne nail clippings soas to maintain a hygienic environment.

The present invention overcomes one or more of these problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to reduce the time required toclean up nail clippings, shavings and smaller nail portions after nailtrimming has occurred.

It is a feature of the present invention to provide a low cost, andportable, system for capturing nail clippings.

It is an advantage of the present invention to reduce the time requiredto clean up after a nail trimming session and reduce the potential ofdamage or injury caused by flying nail fragments.

The present invention is designed to achieve the above mentionedobjectives, include the previously stated features and provide theaforementioned advantages.

The present invention comprises:

A system for capturing and disposal of nail clippings comprising:

-   -   conical shaped fabric container means configured for receiving        therein a plurality of appendages, and for containing therein        nail clippings separated from one of said plurality of        appendages;    -   wire loop means configured for holding open a larger diameter        portion of said container means;    -   fabric flap means for selectively opening an exit port to said        container means;    -   where said means for selectively opening permits nail clippings        to be removed from said container means;    -   snap means for securing said fabric flap means into a position        for closing said exit port; and    -   transparent cover means configure for enclosing said larger        diameter portion of said container means so that an inside of        said container means is visible from outside said container        means.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 shows an apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows an apparatus similar to that shown in FIG. 1 being used inthe processing of trimming a child's fingernails.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Now referring to the drawings wherein like numerals refer to likestructure shown in the drawings and text included in the applicationthroughout.

Now referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a nail capturing container 10 ofthe present invention, having a top portion and nail clipping catcherbottom portion 30. Fabric can be used to create a conical shapedcontainer with flexible sides but having a well defined top portion andhaving a peripheral edge 12. The fabric can also be any suitablematerial depending upon the particular application, including but notlimited to a plastic, paper, mesh, woven material, thin layers ofmaterial or the like. Disposed over the top portion of the internal conevolume, defined by the fabric, is a transparent top cover 13, which maybe a flexible plastic sheeting material or other suitable less flexibleand/or removable rigid top cover. In the fabric sides, there are threeopenings. First appendage receiving opening 18 may be a simple slit(hemmed or un-hemmed) in the fabric, which is sized and configured for aperson to insert a hand or a foot therethrough. Similarly, there isshown a second appendage receiving opening 20, which may have anadhesive 51 or other matter configured to help keep the opening closedwhen desired, e.g. when nothing is inserted therethrough. Thirdappendage receiving opening 22 is shown disposed generally opposite theother two openings. Third appendage receiving opening 22 is shown havinga loop 41 and hook 43 (or vice versa) closure system, such as Velcro,for assisting in maintaining a closed state when nothing is insertedtherethrough, or to minimize the opening around a small appendage so asto reduce the potential for nail clippings to fly through a gap aroundthe appendage and the third appendage receiving opening 22. The openings18, 20, and 22 may be equally separated by 120 degrees, or two may beseparated by between 120 degrees and 145 degrees, with the oppositeopening being centrally located with respect to each. Other suitableseparations are desirable as well. The nail clipping catcher bottomportion 30 is configured to be closed while nails are being clipped andthen opened up to remove the nail clippings. Flap 32 may be a portion offabric of the side material, which is folded upward and held upward bythe snap 34. Still other structures could be used, such as a slidingvalve or any suitable means for selectively opening and closing the nailclipping catcher bottom portion 30.

Now referring to FIG. 2, there is shown a top view of the nail capturingcontainer 10 of the present invention, which shows two adult hands andone hand of a child. The adult is trimming the child's fingernails byholding the child's hand with one hand and using a tool, such as amanicure scissors, nail clipper, fingernail file, emory board or othersuitable manicure or pedicure tools. It should be understood that thechild's hand need not be a hand and may be a foot of a child or a handor foot of an adult.

The nail capturing container 10 can be constructed with a peripheralstructural support 14, which may be a wire, a flexible elongated pieceof plastic or other suitable structure for holding the fabric apart anddefining a peripheral edge 12. The peripheral structural support 14 maybe located within a peripheral structure containing pouch 16 or hemmedportion. The transparent top 13 may be sewn in or be removably placedover the top of the peripheral edge 12. Transparent top 13 is shown asbeing invisible but may be configured to allow for clear or less thantotally clear visual inspection of the interior portion of the nailcapturing container 10.

The nail capturing container 10 of the present invention could beutilized in various different ways including but not limited to:

Trimming a person's own fingernails as follows:

The nail clipping catcher bottom portion 30 is closed if it isconfigured to be opened and closed. In the alternative, nail clippingcatcher bottom portion 30 could always be closed and the transparent top13 could be removable or the bottom portion 30 could be pulled frominside to the outside through one of the openings 18, 20 and 22.

The person inserts both hands into the nail capturing container 10, eachhand through one of the openings 18, 20 and 22.

The person uses a tool inside the nail capturing container to trim nailsor do other manicure or pedicure actions 10, while the person looksthrough the transparent top 13. The fabric sides of nail capturingcontainer 10 capture any nail clippings, skin, or matter removed by thetool.

The person completes the manicure or pedicure session and removes thehands from the openings.

The nail clippings, or other matter removed from the hands, is thenremoved from the interior of the nail capturing container 10.

In an alternate embodiment of the method of the present invention, thesame person may insert their own foot, or the foot of another person maybe inserted through the remaining hole, and then toenails can be clippedor other pedicure actions taken.

Similarly, the method of the present invention works well with trimmingfingernails of another person, including a child, where the otherperson's hand is inserted through the remaining unoccupied opening Thepresent system and method can be used for trimming claws of non-humananimals as well. Throughout this description the term “nail clipping”has been used, and is hereby defined to mean pieces of nails and/orclaws and/or skin which are removed from an appendage of an animal by aclipper, trimmer, scissors, file, emory board and/or other devices usedfor manicures, pedicures and/or animal claw trimming.

It is thought that the method and apparatus of the present inventionwill be understood from the foregoing description, and that it will beapparent that various changes may be made in the form, construct steps,and arrangement of the parts and steps thereof, without departing fromthe spirit and scope of the invention, or sacrificing all of theirmaterial advantages. The form herein described is merely a preferredexemplary embodiment thereof.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of capturing and disposal of nailclippings comprising the steps of: providing a conical shaped fabriccontainer means configured for receiving therein a plurality ofappendages, and for containing therein nail clippings separated from oneof said plurality of appendages; providing a wire loop means configuredfor holding open a larger diameter portion of said container means;providing a fabric flap means for selectively opening an exit port tosaid container means; where said means for selectively opening permitsnail clippings to be removed from said container means; providing a snapmeans for securing said fabric flap means into a position for closingsaid exit port; providing a transparent cover means configured forenclosing said larger diameter portion of said container means so thatan inside of said container means is visible from outside said containermeans; receiving a plurality of appendages within said container means;containing within said container means nail clippings separated from oneof said plurality of appendages; selectively opening said exit port; andremoving said nail clippings from said container means through said exitport.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of selectively openingsaid exit port comprises manipulating said snap means.
 3. The method ofclaim 2 wherein said step of containing within said container meansoccurs after an additional step of separating nail clippings from one ofsaid plurality of appendages, while disposed within said containermeans.
 4. A method of capturing and disposal of nail clippingscomprising the steps of: providing a container means configured forreceiving therein a plurality of appendages, and for containing thereinnail clippings separated from one of said plurality of appendages;providing a means configured for defining a portion of said containermeans; providing a transparent cover means configured for enclosing saidportion of said container means so that an inside of said containermeans is visible from outside said container means; receiving aplurality of appendages within said container means; containing withinsaid container means nail clippings separated from one of said pluralityof appendages; selectively opening said container means; and removingsaid nail clippings from said container means.
 5. The method of claim 4wherein said one of said plurality of appendages comprises a human hand.6. The method of claim 4 wherein said step of opening said containermeans comprises manipulating a snap means to permit manipulation of afabric flap means to open an exit port.
 7. The method of claim 4 whereinsaid transparent cover means is removable with respect to said portionof said container means.
 8. The method of claim 4 wherein said containermeans is a conical shaped fabric container means.
 9. The method of claim8 wherein said conical shaped fabric container means comprises a singlepiece of fabric with a plurality of slits therein for receivingtherethrough said plurality of appendages.
 10. The method of claim 9wherein on said plurality of slits is configured with a means forselectively holding closed a portion of a slit.
 11. The method of claim10 wherein said means for selectively holding closed comprises a fabricwith hooks and a fabric with loops.
 12. The method of claim 4 whereinsaid means for defining a portion comprises a wire loop means.